The Battle for Bah-ston! Double Review by Andrew

       

This Oscar season we yet again have some wicked Bahston films up for consideration. After “The Departed” stole the show back in 2007, now we have 2010’s “The Town” and “The Fighter” competing for those shiny naked man trophies.

            I originally had no interest in seeing either of these films. My first impressions were simple, I thought: “Oh, it's Rocky set in Boston...” and “Oh, it's Ben Affleck...,” but I would now find these judgments to be premature. Both films are appealing and original in their own ways, and they show different parts of the area.

            “The Town” is set right in Charlestown, a neighborhood in the city of Boston, which seems like a fit for Affleck seeing as he was raised on the “mean” streets of Cambridge. And just in case you're not quite sure where the movie takes place, Affleck makes sure to showcase lots of Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins gear throughout the film. Some scenes were shot in Harvard Square, right around where I worked at the time, and I had the opportunity to walk through sets while they weren't filming. At the time I had no idea what was being shot, but it was still pretty neat to see all the equipment and preparation that went into one scene. So for me seeing “The Town” was cool if only for the fact that I know exactly which bank they robbed, where they ate lunch, and silly stuff like that.

            The movie itself is fairly simple: set in Charlestown, which apparently has the highest number of bank robberies per capita in the U.S., Affleck is Doug MacRay, a bank robber who's trying to get out of crime after finding the love of his life. This girl, however, is also an unknowing witness to their last big heist. And of course he needs to take care of one last big job before he leaves. He has complicated relationships with his family and friends, but who doesn't really? Some of these complications involve his working crew, which includes his best friend James played by Jeremy Renner. Renner is almost channeling his character from 2008’s “The Hurt Locker” as the trigger-happy wild man. Oh, and to top it all off Affleck also has a baby that may or may not be his. (OOPS!)

            The movie plays out over several exciting bank jobs, car chases, shootouts, and tense conversations eventually leading up to the big job. At times the dialogue can seem a little forced and some monologues in particular sound like Affleck wrote them specifically to win his Oscar, but fell flat in reality. One memorable scene occurs between MacRay and his father, played by a very old looking Chris Cooper, while the two are arguing through visiting room glass during the father’s jail sentence. The tension between the two characters, especially over MacRay’s mother is very palpable. Even though it’s a short scene, it sticks out in my mind among all the gunfights and sirens. 

            The movie as a whole is enjoyable. It has some clichés thrown in for good measure near the conclusion when trying to wrap up all the loose ends, but nothing too distracting. There is also an epic win moment that involves a note left on a car windshield in the wrap up montage. With all this said I still think “The Town” falls short against movies like “The Fighter” and “True Grit,” but is still a successful film. I'd definitely recommend checking it out especially if you're a fan of spooky Halloween masks.

            “The Fighter” is set in Lowell, Mass., and showcases a very different kind of Bay Stater. Taken very broadly this film is about family and the bonds that keep them together...or drive them completely crazy. The fighting that’s done outside the ring between Micky (Mark Wahlberg) and his family, or even Dicky (Christian Bale) vs. Crack (Bonnie Aarons) seem to have more impact, although less physicality, than the actual boxing. Almost every actor in this film has a very distinct and recognizable role, except for maybe the gaggle of sisters who really could have been credited as one person (fun trivia fact: One of the sisters is played by the sister of Conan O'Brien. She's the one who looks like a clean-shaven Conan with a wig on).

            Early on in the film you might have trouble figuring out who's the main character — I knew, but still felt like both Mickey and Dicky share equal parts of the screen they both deserve. Christian Bale puts on an incredible show as a struggling crack addict looking to make his “comeback.” He's spent the last few years banking on the disputable fact that he knocked out Sugar Ray Leonard, while also training his little brother Micky to be just like him. Except for, ya know, the whole crack thing.

Bale revisits his “Machinist” days where he showed dramatic weight loss by crash dieting. He's even sporting a little bald spot that makes a couple cameo appearances, but he dives headfirst into the role of a man struggling with addiction. Dicky might also be considered “the fighter” of the film as a former boxer who let his big chance slip away; he trains his brother while fighting for his life and livelihood.

            What this film does better then “The Town” is create a serious dramatic tone: the family dynamic is exaggerated and animated, but at the same time seems brutally honest in its portrayal of a common Lowell household. The accents are so harsh at times that even when the mood is serious people laugh every time someone drops an F-bomb. This is pretty frequent in both films and I can only assume it functions to sell the realism of the time and the locale. As an added bonus, seeing Christian Bale jump out of a window several times is particularly hilarious.

            The way the film itself was shot, using different kinds of film to differentiate between the movie, the documentary, and HBO stock footage is unique. The three iterations blend together almost flawlessly in a way that does not distract, but works to clarify and carry the story forward. The actual boxing scenes are well choreographed, and the lighting sometimes reminded me of old boxing paintings. The makeup department also really did a great job beating the hell out of Mark Wahlberg, and he was really looking pretty ragged after some of the fights.

            In the end I'd have to say “The Fighter” is the better wicked Bahston movie. While the story seems familiar sometimes, I feel it was the characters that made this film worthwhile. If it were up to me, I'd make sure all the actors in the movie received some little token recognizing their work on the film. Even Sugar Ray Leonard and the handicapped kid who only showed up like twice. Everybody!

Written by Andrew
Edited by Aaron
_________________________________________________

Hey, everyone! Be sure to check out Andrew's foodie blog, The Boston Gastronauts!

http://bostongastronaut.wordpress.com/

-Tim

Spider-Man Trilogy Review by Chris

Growing up, comic books were a luxury I didn't really have the money to collect. I'd always borrow my friend’s issues or hope my brother would pick some up, but they were always few and far between. As I grew older and had more money, my focus was on video games and not the adventures of the amazing fictional worlds of Marvel and DC. That quickly changed with the first two “Spider-Man” movies and the "Ultimate Spiderman" comic series, and I was dragged wallet first back into the comic book world. With the third movie came the arrival of my favorite “Spider-Man” villain, Venom, and I attended opening night with a fare share of blind excitement. But the movie failed to live up to my dreams, and instead became a scar on comic book movie history. So what went wrong?

The first “Spider-Man” came out in 2002 with a strong cast of Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn and Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson. It was the perfect origin story. A high school senior, Peter Parker gets bitten by a radioactive, biologically enhanced spider and gains amazing powers. At first he is tempted to use his powers for personal gain until, guided by the words of his Uncle Ben, played by Cliff Robertson, he becomes the hero his world needs. The cast is rounded out by James Franco as Peter’s best friend Harry, Rosemary Harris as Aunt May, and J.K. Simmons as the great J. Jonah Jameson. Throughout the story Peter learns about love, family and what being a hero means.

This origin movie is built on a classic comic book formula. An intelligent, but fairly normal young Peter gets amazing powers from a seemingly random event. He begins to abuse them, but the death of a family member drives him to become a super hero. Everything starts to go his way as he develops his abilities as Spider-Man and a mastery of science as Peter. Then Norman Osborn, an evil businessman and corrupt scientist causes himself to become the Green Goblin. Now Peter must face his first super villain, who is a mirror image of himself. He defeats Osborn and learns that he must sacrifice as Peter Parker to truly become “Spider-Man.”

“Spider-Man 2” continues this classic formula by introducing Alfred Molina as Dr. Otto Octavius. Dr. Octavius is a great scientist who plans on using new technology to control the equivalent power of the sun to create an infinite power source. The experiment goes wrong leaving four mechanical A.I. arms grafted to his body and his wife dead. Unlike Peter, this newfound power corrupts him, and he begins to rob and murder in hopes of finishing his experiment. Meanwhile, Peter Parker has found his place as Spider-Man, and is hunting for a way to balance it with his normal life. By the end of the movie Peter has to face Dr. Octavius, a.k.a. “Doc Ock,” and help the scientist redeem himself as a person. He also confesses his love and reveals his powers to Mary Jane, and begins the process of balancing both sides of his life.

If “Spider-Man 3” had kept with this formula, now would be the time Peter stops facing the villains that mirror himself and faces something he can't explain. He should grow into the truest form of the super hero he has become by seeing how easy it would be to become a villain. Peter should be tempted with more power and dark choices, but instead what you get is a mashed up retelling of his original story through the eyes of Sandman, played by Thomas Haden Church, and a Spider-Man tempted by the modern emo life style, not evil.

Topher Grace joins the cast as Eddie Brock, who later becomes Venom. This has to be the biggest failure of this movie. The alien symbiote falls randomly from the sky clings to Peter and causes him to be a jerk to his girl friend Mary Jane. He also starts to use Gwen Stacy, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, as a tool to get Mary Jane jealous. His enemies include Harry Osborn, who has become the New Goblin. In the end all these events happen for no reason. Peter’s life was going well and where he needed to grow was as “Spider-Man,” but after getting the black suite the only thing that changes is his life as Peter. After he realizes his "mistakes" he throws the suit away and it attaches itself to Eddie making him Venom. He declares vengeance on Peter because Peter pointed out that Eddie had broken the law at work.

In the end it all comes down to a final battle that gathers the same concepts from the previous two movies. Venom was evil all along and dies because of his greed. The Green Goblin, who was once a villain, follows in Doc Ock’s footsteps and redeems himself, helping Peter before he dies. The only new concept is Sandman, who was supposedly a villain with a heart of gold, reveals to his mistakes to Peter and then just randomly leaves. Nothing that is done here is new, and nothing helps Peter or Spider-Man grow. I went to this movie with a Venom action figure in my pocket and ready to love it just like I loved the first two. What I got was a barely understandable story and a dancing Peter Parker with a dark suit and greasy hair.

In the end this trilogy leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. The first two movies were so close to perfection that the failures of the third become that much worse. I've tried to find redeeming factors in this movie, but in the end it fails on every level. For anyone out there who hasn't seen any of these movies, this is fair warning: stop after the second one and end it all on a happy note. With a reboot “Spider-Man” movie coming out in 2012, I just hope they learned from their mistakes, and from the successes of other comic book movies like “Iron Man” and “Batman.”

"The Dilemma" Review & Comic by Tim

Not since 2001‘s "What’s The Worst That Could Happen?" has a movie title so accurately described itself as a film. I was really on the fence about this. Should I see this movie? Should I not see this movie? Will I enjoy it? Will I hate it? I really had no idea. What a DILEMMA! 

…Sorry.

But now, without any hesitation, I am proud to present my genuine take on "The Dilemma." I give this movie an astonishing, resounding, and thunderous…. “Meh.”

The story is very easy to pick up, and you probably understood it immediately in the trailer if you've seen it. Vince Vaughn and Kevin James play best friends. Kevin James’s character Nick is happily married to Geneva played by Winona Ryder. And Vince Vaughn’s character, Ronny is a confirmed bachelor who seems to have found his true love in his girlfriend, Beth played by Jennifer Connelly. Then one day Ronny sees Geneva cheating on Nick—just as he and Nick are preparing a major work presentation. He wants to tell Nick that his wife is being unfaithful, but he doesn’t want to risk the news affecting Nick’s work on the presentation, so he goes behind everyone’s collective back and tries to sort out all of their little secrets leading from one unlikely situation to the next and hilarity ensues. Except there’s just one problem: hilarity doesn’t ensue.

This movie is about 2 hours long, and it feels like it’s …about 2 hours long.  As Ronny untangles the twisted web of lies woven by he and his friends, you laugh. Then you wait for what feels like 10 minutes, then he finds out something new and cruelly hilarious. So you chuckle, and you’re left to wait again for something else to happen. Award-winning director and former Cunningham Ron Howard seems to do the best he can with what he’s given, but I can’t help but feel that this script could have simply used a few more drafts.

At its core, "The Dilemma" is a poorly written movie with a cast that’s firing on all cylinders.  The bromance between Kevin James and Vince Vaughn is there. I’ve never been a huge fan of Winona Ryder and even she delivers in this movie. And Jennifer Connelly—wow. You could make a "Rocketeer 2" tomorrow and it would be like no time had passed! (Disney, please read this and make "Rocketeer 2" tomorrow. I’ll write it for free. Seriously. I mean come on. "Tron"? "Tron" gets a sequel? Really? "Tron"?!) ANYWAY—perhaps most shocking— Fred Claus himself, Vince Vaughn does very well in this movie. I don’t want to make a big deal out of this because believe it or not, I really like Vince Vaughn. I liked him in "Swingers." I liked him in "Dodgeball." And Vaughn’s performance in this movie almost wipes away the stain of "Fred Claus." 

…Almost.

The bottom line is: A good cast and a collection of random funny moments just don't do much to fix what's already broken. There are a lot worse ways to spend two hours. But if you can wait, I’d suggest renting this one.

The Green Hornet review by Chris

The movie The Green Hornet is the story of what it means to be a true hero and how all your actions can greatly affect the world. Through this struggle the characters become the heroes the world will need and help change it into a better place. It's a story we've seen a thousand times and will probably see a thousand more. So does this Hornet change the way you view the hero and push the genre forward, or is it a sting that will leave a lasting pain?

Britt Reid, played by Seth Rogen, has had to deal with father issues and a super hero complex since he was a little boy. He grows up the spoiled son of a media empire and loses his connection to the real world. Meanwhile the "fear" obsessed crime lord Chudnofsky, played by Christoph Waltz, has taken over all of the crime in L.A. During these events Britt's father, James Reid, played by Tom Wilkinson, is murdered, forcing Britt to face life. Britt joins up with his father's old auto mechanic, Kato, played by Jay Chou, and together they use Kato's inventions and Britt's newspaper connections to attempt to fight crime. Along the way they fight drug dealers, crime lords and each other. They both also fight over Lenore Case, played by Cameron Diaz, Britt's secretary and researcher of the Green Hornet.

The biggest question you should ask yourself before seeing this movie is do you like other Seth Rogen movies? The performances of Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz and Cameron Diaz are all solid from beginning to end. The comedy is well done and the action is entertaining. Sadly, most of this is brought down by the performance of Seth Rogen. Like in most his movies, he feels like the exact same character. Rogen himself is actually one of the writers for the film, and it's like he wrote himself into the part. Britt is constantly making commentary on what is going on around him, but everything he say's sounds like it's from Rogen's thoughts, not how Britt would respond. Worst of all, Cameron's character is the genius of the criminal mind, but Rogen treat's her like a piece of meat for most of the film and it overshadows her performance.

As a result, Britt doesn't really feel like he fits into the universe. It almost feels like Rogen, the actor, is trying to figure out how he got trapped in this world. All of this isn't completely a bad thing. Most of Rogen's jokes are funny and his banter with Jay is always fun. As a result of his extremely dislikable personality in the beginning, his transition into a real super hero by the end is strong, but not completely believable. Many of Rogen's fans will love this movie, but this isn't your normal superhero film.

It should be noted, this isn't a family film. There are lots of cursing, violent deaths and jokes about sex. Britt isn't your common superhero, because he doesn't have the higher standards that most heroes place on themselves. You're not going to get a hero whose origin story or actions are any different from other heroes. What you do get is a flawed, hero who unlike most, doesn't necessarily have the good will of all on his mind.

Visually you'll have lots to see, but nothing you can't find in a James Bond or Batman movie, and those would do it better. There are lots of interesting gadgets to keep you guessing what will happen next. The sound design doesn't really push any limits either. The music choices are fine and the sound effects fit, but none of it really sticks with you.

It feels good to finally be able to see a movie about a super hero who's other media I know little to nothing about. Seeing this universe with fresh eyes and few expectations I was ready for it to either rock my world or make me feel like I wasted my money. In the end, it did neither. Seth Rogen's execution of the role lowers the remaining actors performances, thus keeping it from being something great, but the comedy and action make it a fun ride. It's a great movie for a Saturday morning matinee with a group of friends, just fair a warning, don't bring your kids.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

It's Friday! Woo hoo!
Here's a heads up on what we've got going on this weekend:

Chris is going to go see The Green Hornet. I don't know how to feel about this one and I probably won't know how to feel about it until I see it for myself. It looks pretty funny and yet action packed. But will it be a sophomoric comedy, a heroic action movie, or some strange combination of the two?! Chris will let you know!
BTdubs-- The Green Hornet was the first comic book I ever read... just a little Tim trivia for you there.

And I will be seeing The Dilemma. Oh joy. I've always liked Kevin James, but I'm kind of skeptical about seeing anything starring Vince Vaughn.

Fred Claus.
'Nuff said.

Anyway, I'll let you know if The Dilemma is a rom-com worth your $10.50, or if it's a tremendous WOMBAT (Waste Of Money, Brains, And Time)!

Have a great Friday, everyone!

Chris' Top 5

Disclaimer: This isn't a list of my top 5 favorite movies, but 5 movies that have affected me in a a large way.

Tron, 1982
As an addicted gamer, 3D animator and all around technology nut this movie attacks me from so many different levels. I know the story is slow, the graphics are out dated and over all the movie feels old to most viewers. To me it represents something more, a huge stepping stone in the history of 3D animation. The story is so different from what most live action movies, even today, will attempt to do. And all the characters are lovable in their own way. It may not be a movie for all, but it's the perfect movie for me.

Hitch, 2005
I don't show it much, but I really do love romance movies. Sadly, most just don't excite me to the level of wanting to see the movie more than once. This isn't the case with Hitch. I don't know if it's the always-amazing acting of Will Smith or the well-crafted script but something about this movie makes it a great rainy day film. I catch myself watching it almost every time it comes on TV and I occasionally refer to it when talking to people. I've never been able to pin point what the charm of this movie is, but in the end the overall package just entertains.

Kung Pow, Enter the Fist, 2002
This movie earned this slot by causing a spark of instant friendships with more people then I can count. On more than one occasion I found myself meeting new people and the second this movie sneaks its way into a conversation we're quoting the whole movie and comparing our favorite parts. It's a film that not many have seen, but those who have and love it gravitate to each other. From a film stand point it actually does amazing work by cutting the director and actor Steve Oedekerk into each shot so perfectly you almost don't question it, but you do question it, and that's part of the joke.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 2010
A visual masterpiece, astounding script and amazingly directed film, but none of these are the reason it's on this list. Scott Pilgrim blasted its way onto my list by being one of the most accurate comic book movies to date. I know Hollywood has run low on ideas and has been using other sources like comic books to make its money, but is it too much trouble to ask that you do it accurately? Many of the comic-book-to-movie adaptations out there make me wonder if the director and writers read more than the Wikipedia entry on the subject before working on the film. As a huge fan of the Scott Pilgrim comics I was waiting for a thousand reasons to hate this movie, but they captured the first two books almost word for word and kept the essences of the comics for the remainder. What makes it even more astounding is that Brian Lee O'Malley hadn't even finished the all the books when the movie started production. Edgar Wright had to work from early scripts and long conversations with O'Malley to create his adaptation.

Hook, 1991
To this day my mom still asks me, "Do you remember that time we went to Disneyland and watched Hook over and over?" To which I respond that I don't, but it sounds like something I'd do. I still occasionally make a victory bird call and I fear that the first time I meet someone named Rufio and begin to chant his name. This action packed thrill ride is fun for the whole family and will touch viewers of all ages. Did I mention Robin Williams is in it? ‘Cause let's face it, he can make any movie better just by being around.

Tim's Top 5 Influential Movies

So here we are. This having been a pretty slow week for movies (and none of us saw Season of the Witch), we thought it might be nice to give you a look at our 5 top movies that most influenced us to be the (awesome) people we are today. DISCLAIMER: These are not my favorite films of all time NOR are they the 5 greatest movies ever made. They are simply 5 movies that had a profound impact on who I am. That said, you can fight me on how important these movies are in general-- just be prepared to lose. :-)

Okay... here we go! In NO particular order:

Superman: The Movie, 1978, PG

This is the movie that made me want to make movies. A lot of my friends can tell you, I’m as big a Superman fan as you’re ever likely to meet. But Superman isn’t the reason I like this movie. This movie is one of the reasons I like Superman. The script is funny and smart thanks largely to the late Tom Mankiewicz. Director Richard Donner’s mantra on this film was “Verisimilitude,” ensuring that the movie maintains it’s own honesty. It is one of the best casted movies I’ve ever seen. The notion of taking an unknown Christopher Reeve and surrounding him with classic actors in supporting roles is an inspired idea. So much so that Christopher Nolan used the same approach on his Batman films by taking a relatively unknown Christian Bale and surrounding him with the likes of Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Liam Neeson. The technical prowess with which the film was made is still astonishing to me. This is a 30+ year old movie, and it holds up better than many of the films made at the time.

Ghostbusters, 1984, PG

No movie has ever made me laugh as hard and as frequently as Ghostbusters. The writing is funny and the acting pushes it even further. The effects hold up pretty well, too. But the bottom line is, this movie is the most quotable movie of all time. It’s full of so many memorable moments. Show me someone who can't quote one line from Ghostbusters, and I'll show you someone who has never seen Ghostbusters!

The Empire Strikes Back, 1980, PG

Empire is often considered the best of all the Star Wars movies and deservedly so. This movie is very well rounded. It has humor, action, romance, drama, and it all culminates in one of the greatest spoilers in movie history. Perhaps Empire’s greatest acheivment is simply its success as a sequel. I mean, they made a satisfying follow up to 1977’s Star Wars. In and of itself, that is pretty miraculous. If you have this movie on DVD, I strongly recommend checking out the insightful commentary by the late director Irvin Kershner.

Rocky, 1976, PG

The first time I saw this movie, I hated it. I grew up on sports movies where everything goes silent, you hear the quarterbacks breath, he hurls the ball in slow motion, the clock ticks down to zero, his teammate leaps up into the air, barely nabs the ball with his fingertips, and brings it in—still in slow motion—for a touchdown! They did it! They won the championship! Nobody thought they could do it, but they believed in themselves and they did it! Yeeeeeah… that’s not the kind of movie Rocky is. It wasn’t until the repeated viewings that I realized Rocky doesn’t want to win. In fact, he knows he can’t win. He just wants to give the champ, Apollo Creed, a run for his money. He wants to go the distance. And when you view the film with that in mind, you see it for what it really is: a triumph. From Bill Conti’s simple score, to the fantastic performances of Sylvester Stallone, Burgess Meredith, Talia Shire, and Burt Young, this is the most inspirational movie I’ve ever seen.

The Little Mermaid, 1989, G

This was the first movie I ever saw in theaters. I don't remember a whole lot of the experience... just bits and pieces. (For instance, when the screen goes dark except for the whites of Ursula's evil eyes. Hello, nightmares.) Anyway, as I grew up, this is the movie that made me want to seriously pursue animation as a career. The characters are brought to life with such pathos, you can't help but get sucked right in. The soundtrack is incredible and the whole "Part of Your World" sequence full of so much emotion, I've only seen it topped once in animation. And even THAT wasn't until recently. Three guesses as to what topped it... Go ahead... guess!

True Grit Review by Chris

After winning an Oscar for the original 1969 True Grit, John Wayne said “If I had known, I would have put that eye patch on 35 years earlier.” That about sums up what the Coen brothers were attempting to do with this 2010 remake of the classic western. Assembling the Oscar award winning actors Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, a classic award winning western and two directors who have won their share of awards. It's no surprise this movie was shooting for as much recognition as possible. But does that make it a bad movie? Not at all.

As much as the advertisers want you to believe this movie is about Jeff Bridges’ character Rooster Cogburn, it's actually the story of Mattie Ross, played by Hailee Steinfeld, and her journey to get vengeance on a man named Tom Chaney, played by Josh Brolin. Mattie quickly finds out that her father's murderer won't be brought to justice for a long time, if at all, so she pays Rooster to help her hunt down Chaney. Early on they meet LaBoeuf, played by Matt Damon, a Texas Ranger who's hunting Chaney for the crimes he committed while in Texas. The three continue to butt heads the entire movie and grow as characters as a result.

The performance of Hailee Steinfeld is was really makes this movie great. She is constantly out talking, out thinking and in general out doing all the adults she interacts with. Some of the most memorable scenes in the movie are when she's trying to negotiate with a sales man to get the money she needs to pay Rooster. The man keeps saying "take it or leave it" but she keeps finding ways to trick him into giving her what she needs. As a result of her silver tongue she comes off as more intelligent then any of the other characters, but still keeps a childish air around her. Jeff Bridges puts new life into Rooster. From the beginning he's a man who cares little for anyone other than himself, but by the end he's grown into a lovable character filled with dark humor. Matt Damon also performs amazingly, but with two stars shining as brightly as Steinfeld and Bridges do, Damon becomes forgettable. Without his character to balance out the other two, much of the growth wouldn't happen, but when telling the world about this movie, none of his quotes will be the first to mind.

Visually this movie is very clean. I'm all for the modernization of the western themed movies, but when a movie is called True Grit you expect some Grit. The imagery of being in a western world comes off loud and clear, but everything is so perfect it almost feels like a wild west theme park, not what it was truly like to live back in those times.

The sounds throughout the movie are well planned and some of the most subtle things, like a hoof hitting the hard dirt or a branch blowing in the tree's above really help you feel like you're in the world. It also helps that the music is kept fairly low and never becomes distracting. This gives it a real world feel like actually being in cold dark woods or dry deserts.

Overall this movie is a grand experience that will really drive you into the old west, but it is done in a modern way with humor and faster pacing which keeps it from feeling dated. My only real complaint for the whole experience was the ending. It didn't feel well planned or even well shot. It gave me the feeling that it was tacked on at the end to make the audience feel sad and confirm there wouldn't be a sequel. Besides that small gripe, this was a great movie and if you saw the trailer and even felt yourself remotely interested then you'll find something to enjoy here.